VTLCI Students Place Second and Third in VATESOL Writing Contest

By Kama Weatherholt

The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute is proud to congratulate two of our students, Abeer Almaimouni and Hamdan Alohosani, for their success in the VATESOL Writing Contest!
This year’s contest prompted the students to write about the topics of advocacy and inclusion.  Abeer and Hamdan wrote thoughtful and insightful essays that related these issues to the experiences of ESL students.  Abeer, a student at the Blacksburg LCI, tied for second place with her essay titled “ESL Students, Campus, and Community.”  Hamdan, who studied at the LCI in Falls Church, received third place for the essay “ESL Community and Inclusion.” 

Abeer Almaimouni, an electrical engineer from Kuwait, is studying in the United States on a full scholarship from Kuwait University (KU).  After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she briefly worked as a part-time teaching assistant at KU before becoming a trainee engineer at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.  She then worked as an electrical maintenance engineer at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), an experience that proved difficult. 

Abeer accepts award from Don Back

Abeer explains, “The fact that I was the first female engineer in the Electrical Maintenance Division represented a major challenge to me. I had to work in a very male-dominant working environment, and I needed to work in hazardous areas and very harsh physical conditions. After working for two and a half years in the maintenance field, I had earned a great deal of respect from my colleagues and my superiors for my hardworking nature and dedication.”   

After her work at KNPC, Abeer decided that it was time to return to the world of academia.  She graduated from the LCI program this May, and will now be moving on to the University of Washington in Seattle to begin her graduate studies in electric power engineering.  After obtaining her PhD, she will return to her home country to join the faculty of the Electrical Engineering Department at Kuwait University. 

Hamdan Alohosani

Hamdan Alohosani came to the Falls Church VTLCI from the United Arab Emirates.  Upon completing high school, Hamdan received a prestigious Distinguished Student Scholarship, a prize that is awarded to only twelve high school graduates throughout the UAE each year. 

Hamdan recently completed the advanced level at the VTLCI with an outstanding academic record.  He held perfect attendance and a 4.0 GPA over four terms of study.  He will continue his hard work in the mechanical engineering program at Virginia Tech this fall. 

In addition to his study of English, Hamdan has always enjoyed and excelled in science, and he won several global competitions while in high school.  He also explains that he likes the state of Virginia because of the beautiful scenery and the friendly people.   

UAE Scholarship Students Accepted to VT

Abdulrahman Aljaberi and Hamdan Alhosani, both from the United Arab Emirates and recipients of the prestigious Distinguished Student Scholarship, have been accepted to Virginia Tech in the fall as undergraduates.

Abdulrahman will study Electrical Engineering, and Hamdan will study Mechanical Engineering. Both have been model students at the LCI with perfect attendance rates and a perfect 4.0 GPA since they began in Fall 2011. Congratulations to both excellent students who are well on the path to academic success!

VT Phi Beta Delta Awards Scholarships

Virginia Tech's Gamma Omega chapter of Phi Beta Delta is pleased to announce the winners of the Spring 2012 scholarships, which are made possible by the generous support of the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute.

Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply; selection criteria is based on good academic standing (3.2 GPA undergraduate, 3.6 GPA graduate), enrollment in credit-bearing programs with language and cultural engagement components, and trips to non-traditional destinations for extended stays. Tech-managed programs, bilateral and International Student Exchange Programs, Virginia Tech Direct, and non-Tech programs and independent programs with a clear academic goal, qualify for consideration. All applicants are required to submit an essay that describes how their experience will promote the values of the organization, and winners may be requested to present at a Phi Beta Delta event upon their return. Awards of up to $5,000 may be issued at the discretion of the selection committee. Scholarships are awarded in the fall and spring semesters.

The following students were awarded scholarships:

Brooke Reynolds is the recipient of a $4,000 scholarship to be applied to her Fall 2012 semester study program at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Valparaíso, Chile.
Jeremy Rommel has received a $4,000 award to fund his Fall 2012 semester in Argentina or Chile.
Gregory Kralik has been selected as the winner of a $1,000 scholarship to participate in the Summer 2012 'From Rainforest to Reef' program in Belize led by Professor Marcella Kelly.
Lyn Moore, a native of Leesburg, Virginia, is a doctoral candidate in the Human Development: Marriage and Family Therapy program who has been chosen as the recipient of a $1,000 award to attend the 'South Africa: Lifespan Community Services and Education' program in Mafikeng, South Africa during the Summer II semester.
Megan Murray has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship to participate in a Francophone Studies program in Rabat, Morocco during the Summer 2012 semester.

My Valdivia Travelogue VIII

By Georgia Wyche

The first semester has begun and things have picked up at UACh. Part of my teaching load includes teaching Psycholinguistics, Advanced English Grammar, and a class on phrasal verbs for the English department. I’m substituting two of the classes for a teacher who is on maternity leave. The teacher comes back to work in the middle of April.  So far it has been an enriching experience and I’m also happy to be working with the English pedagogy students once again.

In addition to teaching classes for the English department, I’m also teaching for the UACh Outreach Department. I’m teaching a Basic English class to local artisans in Valdivia. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to teach classes to people from the community not affiliated with the university.

I also recently began working at the Australian Corner, which is similar to the American Corner on the Isla Teja campus. The Australian Corner is located on the Mira Flores campus, which is about a ten minutes bus ride from the UACh Isla Teja campus. I’m teaching Basic English classes to students studying engineering and computer science.

 In the beginning of March, the scientific writing workshop that was held in January had a small ceremony. The students who attended regularly and completed all of the assignments received a certificate of completion.  

The scientific writing workshop will become a class for honors students in the middle of April. I will be co-teaching this class with UACh professor, Dr. Sandor Mulsow. The class will meet once a week until the middle of June. I’m looking forward to working with him.

Along with teaching the classes mentioned, I continue to teach English conversation classes to UACh journalists and I’m doing some private tutoring.  I enjoy working with the journalists because they are a lively group. I’m tutoring a few students who need to brush up on their English before heading to the United States in June.

My UACh teaching experience is drawing to a close in about two and a half months, so I will do my best to make the most out of the time I have left.

My Valdiva Travelogue VII

By Georgia Wyche

VT and UACh Deans

February was a fairly relaxing month in Valdivia because it was summer vacation and Universidad Austral de Chile was closed. Valdivia is a lively and beautiful city in the summer.  During the month, there were many evening concerts and festivals in and around the city. Valdivia is considered a tourist destination in Chile because of its natural beauty and its vast Pacific Ocean coastline.  There are many beautiful beaches around Valdivia where many tourists flock every summer. However, the beaches in this part of Chile aren’t meant for swimming because of the water temperature and dangerous currents. The coast around Valdivia is very similar to the San Francisco and the Portland, Oregon coast.  During the month, I made sure to take advantage of the summer festivities, do some traveling, catch up on some work, and prepare for the visit of the Virginia Tech deans. 


During summer break, I traveled to Chillan and Chiloe Island. Chillan is located eight hours north of Valdivia and Chiloe is located eight hours south of Valdivia. Loreto Quintana and her family invited me to spend a few days exploring Chillan and its surroundings.  It was a wonderful experience and I’m grateful to Mrs. Quitana and her family for having me come to visit.  After visiting Chillan, I spent a week on Chiloe Island. Chiloe is located in northern Patagonia.  I saw penguins in the wild during my stay, which was an unforgettable experience! I still plan on doing some more traveling before heading back to the United States in July. 

Other than traveling to Chillan and Chiloe, I also did some work.  I corrected and graded applied linguistics papers and prepared lessons. Due to the student strikes, the university will be finishing the second semester in the middle of March.  For the remainder of the second semester in applied linguistics I will be talking about “Bilingualism” and “Bilingual Education” and my students will be doing oral presentations. Their final exam will be on March 16^th. Teaching applied linguistics and working with the English pedagogy students has been an enriching and enjoyable experience. I’ll miss working with these students and hope to teach applied linguistics again some day in the future.

Georgia and Dr. Rowlands 

Another big event that occurred at the end of February was the visit by the Virginia Tech deans: Dr. Richard Benson, Dean of the College of Engineering; Dr. Jack Davis, Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies; Dr. Sue Ott Rowlands, Dean of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; Dr. Lay Nam Chang, Dean College of Science; Dr. Paul Winistorfer, Dean of College of Natural Resources; Dr. Alan Grant, Dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Dr. Gerhardt Schurig, Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine.  During their stay in Valdivia, they toured new facilities on campus, observed what has changed since their last visit to the university, and collaborated with UACh deans and faculty members.  Hopefully, there are a lot of interesting projects and collaborative ideas in the works for both universities.  I know the Virginia Tech deans are eager to make some of their projects concrete and continue to strengthen the relationship between Virginia Tech and UACh. I was fortunate to be able to spend time with them.

For the remainder of the second semester, I’ll be finishing my applied linguistics course and teaching English to UACh journalists. The first semester officially begins sometime at the end of March. During the first semester, I’ll be teaching a scientific writing class, English conversation classes to journalists and other interested faculty members, and most likely another course for the UACh English department. Hopefully, many other interesting projects and teaching opportunities will open up during the first semester. I’ll keep you posted.

Gifted Students from Saudi Arabia Study Science in Blacksburg

By Andrea Brunais

  Lois Ingles at the Language and Culture Institute lectures Saudi students

BLACKSBURG, Va., Feb. 7, 2012 – Virginia Tech welcomes many international students to its U.S. campuses. But something new happened for the 2011-12 school year. A first-of-its-kind contingent of 15 gifted students from Saudi Arabia winged their way from the desert kingdom to leafy Blacksburg for a year of science-oriented studies.

"It's been an adjustment for them being here," said Amanda Johnson, assistant director for special programs for the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute. "These 18-year-old students stepped off the plane and dove right into their program, not intimidated by the high expectations for their performance."

The students, sent by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, are here to spend the year preparing for the TOEFL English-language exam as well as the SAT, which like American students they must pass to enter U.S. universities. They’re also immersed in science and math courses. In fall 2012, the students will spread out throughout the U.S. to pursue their bachelor’s degrees at other institutions. Many of them are applying to Virginia Tech's engineering programs.

"They’re doing great so far," Johnson says. "I'm impressed with their inquisitive natures, how involved they are in their studies, and their drive to understand every aspect of what's going on. That’s the mark of a college student who's really taking a hand in their academic future."

Some of the students are worldly and well traveled, but most are experiencing their first time away from family. Saudi culture often requires that women and girls be accompanied when traveling. So some of the female students came with their mothers, fathers, brothers, or grandparents, who showed support for the young women’s aspirations by settling in Blacksburg for the school year.

The students are taking College of Science classes including physics, chemistry, calculus, and lab work to prepare them for the rigors of an undergraduate degree program. Fortunately, the students are already proficient in English, which speeded their adjustment to culture and daily life.

Mohammad Alwazrah, for one, felt at home from the beginning. "I live in a small town back in Saudi Arabia just like Blacksburg," he said. Abdulrahman Linjawi experienced more culture shock. "I'm from an urban area so the rural setting is different. I'm loving the atmosphere here – it's quiet and peaceful. Everyone here is really nice."

Tashkandi and Linjawi receiving donations

During fall semester, the students had an opportunity to be a part of the community beyond academia. They competed in an effort to help fight hunger and volunteered for an organization to collect food donations for people in the New River Valley. The contest included a sculpture. "We created a traditional Saudi castle that converted into a Hokie football field. We got third place," Reem Alattas said. "It was great to be able to go out into the community and take part in this."

The daughter of a physicist and an aviation engineer, Alattas is planning to major in cognitive science or neuroscience. She added, "I want to learn a lot from this experience. I can only imagine how much more I’ll learn in the months to come."

Hear more from Alattas and Islam in this YouTube video.

Another partner in the project, the Institute of International Education, is helping the students with the sometimes complex process of completing college applications and making sure the students furnish needed documentation. After the students earn their four-year degrees, they are expected to enroll in graduate programs back home at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Virginia Tech’s Outreach and International Affairs supports the university’s engagement mission by creating community partnerships and economic development projects, offering professional development programs and technical assistance, and building collaborations to enrich discovery and learning – all with the overarching goal of improving the quality of life for people within the commonwealth and throughout the world. Outreach and International Affairs leads Virginia Tech’s presence on five continents; its regional research and development centers across the commonwealth focus on graduate education and professional development. Blacksburg-based centers are dedicated to student engagement, language, policy, and governance.

My Valdivia TravelogueVI

By Georgia Wyche

Many things have occurred during the month of January at Universidad Austral de Chile. In the beginning of the month, we had several visitors from Virginia Tech.  I’m also continuing to teach English conversation classes, working with applied linguistics students, and led a scientific writing workshop to UACh researchers.

In the beginning of January, John Dooley (Vice President for Outreach and International Affairs), Karen DePauw (Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education) and six Virginia Tech graduate students visited UACh. The purpose of their visit was to learn about campus life and higher education in Chile.  I was happy to meet the group and joined them on several tours and excursions to university laboratories and tourist attractions in and around Valdivia.  Their visit was a worthwhile and enriching experience not only for the group, but also for me. I look forward reconnecting with everyone once I’m back in Blacksburg.

After John Dooley’s visit,  Dr. Bill Huckle (Associate Professor of 
Cell Biology/Pharmacology at Virginia Tech) visited Universidad Austral de Chile.  Dr. Juan Claudio Gutierrez (UACh Veterinary School) kindly hosted Huckle and organized his university visit, specifically to the UACh Veterinary School.  During his visit, Huckle gave several interesting talks to students and faculty members. 
 

I’m also continuing to teach English conversation classes to UACh journalists. These classes are a lot of fun and are taught in a relaxed environment.  Moreover, I continue to stay busy working with my applied linguistics students. The last few classes with my students have been online. For these classes, I covered assessing listening, speaking, reading and writing in the ESL classroom. My students recently turned in a second paper for the class, so I have plenty of reading and grading to do during the month of February.

 

Workshop presentation

During the last two weeks of January, I led and taught an intensive scientific writing workshop to members of the Department of Graduate Research. The students learned to write articles and abstracts and gave presentations on their work. Dr. Juan Claudio Gutierrez of UACh provided assistance during the workshop by talking to the students about his experiences in scientific writing in English when he was a graduate student at Virginia Tech.  All in all, this workshop was a great accomplishment and I look forward to it transitioning into a class in the second semester.
 
Even though the university is closed for summer vacation until the end of February, I plan on keeping busy. I have many papers to correct and lessons to create for the second semester. I also plan on doing some informal English conversation classes at cafes in town for interested students.  I return to work on February 21^st to prepare for the arrival of the university deans from Virginia Tech.